Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1887-05-09
lluuth t Column,
The Faith of Little Hans.

A fierce wind came sweeping
around the corner of Pennsylvania
avenue one morning in the winter
of 1881. Down the deserted street
it rushed, whirling the freshly fallen
snow into light heaps, than scatter
inc it madly in every direction.
Against this storm a young woman
was making what progress she
could toward the post-office depart
ment. A pair of dark eyes and a
pink nose were all that was visible
above her wrappings. 81 must hur-
w. she thought, as she glanced up
at the great clock, and in a few MIN
utes she was at her desk in the dead
letter office. Her work was to open
and read all the letters whose desti-
nation could not be found from the
envelope, and whose contents often
revealed the desired address. What
motley pile it was that lay before
her. Here was one from broken
hearted father begging a hayward
son to come home, and telling him
that his voice and smile alone could
remove the gentle melancholy that
had settled upon the dear old mother.
Here was another, from some queer
old gentleman, full of the small talk
and scandal of his own village, and
touching upon political scandal then
rife in the city where his letter had
found Judgement. There were let
tiers full of the vivacity of the school
girl; letters full of the burning love
of the college boy; letters whose
prim, upright hand and gossipv ma
ture suggested spinsterhoOd letters
to convulse YOU with laughter and
letters that would give you the heart
ache. Y ct, strange to say, not one
of these eager correspondents had
taken the pains to write the correct
address on the envelope that con-
tanned so much that seemed to be
of the greatest Importance. Per-
haps they were too much absorbed
in what they had said from their
hearts to take thought for the for
NAL writing on the outside. The
Young clerk had worked her way
down through q large heap, and was
beginning to think of lunch, when
she came upon a peculiar little en-
velope addressed in German to
''Jesus in Heaven" She tore it |
open hastily, and found a soiled |
sheet written all over in a child's |
cramped hand. Some of the words |
seemed blurred with tears, and she
could scarcely make them out Here |
is the translation
Dear Jesus: I have prayed so |
hard to you, but guess you could not |
hear me so far off, so | am going to |
write You 4 letter. We came over a |
big ocean when it was summer time. |
My mamma has been taken sick all |
the time. Can't you send her some |
thing to make her we'll? And, dear |
Jesus, please send nv papa some |
work to do so he can buy US some
warm clothes and something to eat, |
and please do it quick, for we are
cold and hungry. Nobody knows |
am writing to you. ] thought you
might send us something for a sur
prise Ny hands are so cold l can't |
write very well. Hans BRAHM.
katrina's ewes were filed with tears
a she came to the end. She sat for
some time with the letter in her hand
As she folded it she resolved to Go
something to make the little boy
happy. She said: whatever his
parents may be, this beautiful child
faith must not be destroyed" That
evening, after dinner, she told sew
eral of her friends about the matter,
and they were eager to help her
make up 4 box. 1t was ready in a
few days. There were some fannels
for the mother and little Hans, COM
Portable clothes for the father, and
toys enough to make the boy be-
lieve that the Christ-child did not
live in Germany only. At the very
top lay crisp ten-dollar bill. AS
soon as the box left the house Ka-
trina wrote a letter to Hans. She
told him his letter had been received,
and that Jesus had sent one of his
servants on earth to help him, and
that 4 nice box was on its way out
West. Not long after there came a
letter of warm thanks from the faith
er. He explained how they had been
in the country but few months,
and had not vet found work. As
the weeks went by another and
another letter came, telling of fair
er prospects and brighter days. One
thing they assured Katrina, that they
could never forget her kind letter
and generous help in their time of |
saddest need.-HdIper's Young PeO-
pie.
Too many men make their boys
feel that they are of little or no ac-
count while they are boys. Lay
responsibility on a boy and he will |
meet it in manful spirit. On no
account ignore their disposition to
investigate. Help them to under
stand things. Encourage them to
know what they are about. We are
too apt to treat boys seeking after
knowledge as mere idle curiosity.
.'Don't ask questions" is poor adj
vice to boys. If you do not explain
puzzling things to them, you oblige
4Ftar,, -. l.. ]